Homecoming
by Anjirika
Summary: -SPOILER FOR TMC- The way this episode should have ended. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW


Disclaimer: How TMC should have ended. After I stopped crying this just poured from my finger tips... it's what I wanted to see so I've put it down on paper. I hope you enjoy- the characters and scenario don't belong to me but the satisfaction for ending a potentially wonderful story the right way does so uh- enjoy. 

Homecoming 

Her plan was crazy, but John knew that it would work.

"Come with us." John stated as they began to run to the Jumper. All of them, both team stopped and looked at him, wondering who he was talking to. " Elizabeth," he restated making everything clear. "Come with us." 

"Oh, and what about us?" Rodney- the duplicate Rodney asked before his John hit him over the head reminding them that the replicators needed to think that the team was dead.

"They don't know about you." John continued, his voice pleading with her. "You could come with us, you could find a place on Atlantis again."

"John," Elizabeth shook her head, fighting the part of her that wanted to go with him. "You don't mean that."

"Of course I do." He stated firmly, not caring that both teams were watching him- though he could tell that the duplicate John was bristling with emotion. "I lost you once Elizabeth," John continued his voice lowering as he stepped closer to her so only she could hear. "Don't make me lose you again."

"John..." she sighed as she closed her eyes trying to make a decision.

"I can't lose you again." John whispered his voice on the brink of breaking. "So come with us... please."

She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say. She just looked at him and then closed her eyes again, trying to sort everything out.

"What ever you decide Elizabeth you better do it quick."

She looked up at the sound of his voice, the duplicate John was staring intently at her and in that moment she felt her heart break. She wanted to stay with her team, but who was her team? The ones that were created, or the ones that were born? What made them different, a few nanites? Were they really all that different?

There were too many questions, to many uncertainties but Elizabeth knew what she had to do. "I'm sorry John..." she stated looking down at the ground, knowing in her heart what she had to do and mourning what she couldn't. "...I can't come with you."

"I understand."

And the plan was set in motion.

-sparky-

Rodney had just gotten the news, there were hundreds of Aurora class replicator ships in Pegasus and more were appearing practically every minute. _I guess it's going to take some time to get a final count_ at least, that was what he told everyone. But everyone felt like they were fighting a losing battle, and many wondered if they weren't better off against the wraith and the wraith alone.

John, meanwhile wasn't so concerned with the replicators at the moment. He knew that the final battle would come sooner or later and when it did he had no doubt that he and his team would be ready but he was more concerned about someone and he had spent some time trying to track that person down.

"I thought I might find you here." He stated as he came out onto the balcony, _their balcony_ he added silently to himself. " Elizabeth always came out here."

"I know," she replied turning to greet him, a half hearted smile on her face. "I am Elizabeth remember?"

"I remember." His voice was low and uncertain but as he crossed the short divide to stand beside her- he felt as though nothing had changed.

"I hear that there are a lot of replicator ships out there." Elizabeth stated, trying to get a conversation going.

"Yeah." John confirmed leaning on the rail of the balcony. "I don't know what we're going to do."

"Oh, you'll think of something." Elizabeth stated, giving John a small smile- reminiscent of the smiles that the 'other' her used to give him. "You know it's the oddest thing," she continued as she looked out over the ocean. "I'm mourning the loss of my team when you're all still alive..."

'I know the feeling.' John thought silently to himself, but he wasn't about to unload his problems on her- not yet. It was too soon. "It must be hard." He finally stated with a small smile.

Elizabeth nodded. "It is." She exhaled and turned to face John again. "I still don't know why you insisted that I come back."

"You're Elizabeth."

"I am." She agreed. "But I'm not."

"It doesn't matter." John insisted. "You're still you- hell even the little buggers are inactive again."

"That doesn't mean that they won't flare up again." Elizabeth pointed out.

"True," John agreed slowly. "But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"John I don't know what I'm going to do here." Her voice was so vulnerable, so unsure that John wasn't sure on what he was going to say- so he just let her continue speaking. "I mean the IOA probably won't want me to stay here- and I don't really have a place here. You're Elizabeth is gone and-"

"And nothing." John stated with a note of finality in his voice. "You're Elizabeth Weir. Physically, mentally, spiritually..." he paused and caught the corner of her chin with his hand to make her look at him. "...you are who you are and you are Elizabeth. We needed you..."

"John," she didn't know what to say- but John continued to talk.

"I needed you."

That caught her off guard. But in a way it didn't. She knew that long before she had been taken by the replicators or rather, when the other her had been taken that there had been something between the two of them- some connection of the souls-

'And didn't that other Keller say that I have a soul?' She thought to herself as she looked up into John's eyes. In them she saw a wealth of pain and need and in her heart Elizabeth knew that even though she wasn't the original- she was still Elizabeth Weir and she would find a place on this new Atlantis. After all- wasn't that what the core of being Elizabeth was? She was a fighter. Determined to win at all cost...even her life

" Elizabeth?" John stated, interrupting her train of thoughts. "Are you okay?"

But she had already given her life- hadn't she?

She smiled. "I'm better than okay John." Elizabeth took his hand and looked squarely into his eyes. "I'm home."

"Yes." John agreed, giving her hand a squeeze. "Yes you are."

-End-

A/N- I bet I scared ya didn't I? Please read and review!


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